Chet Gresham

Targets and Touches

Week 8 Target Watch: AFC

Welcome to the AFC Target Watch for Week 7. Below you will find players that have footballs thrown at them on a consistent basis at high velocities and they find it enjoyable. But before we get there, let us take a look at the targets per game leaders over the last four weeks. Don’t look now Reggie Wayne, but Marques Colston is getting all targety.

Target/Game Leaders

Wide Receiver

Tar/gm

Running Back

Tar/gm

Tight End

Tar/gm

Marques Colston

13.7

Darren Sproles

6

Jason Witten

9.7

Reggie Wayne

13.7

Ray Rice

5.8

Tony Gonzalez

8.7

Larry Fitzgerald

12.2

Willis McGahee

5.7

Rob Gronkowski

8.2

Wes Welker

12

LeSean McCoy

5.7

Heath Miller

7.3

Calvin Johnson

12

Mikel Leshoure

5.3

Brandon Pettigrew

7.3

Brandon Marshall

11.7

Fred Jackson

5.2

Kyle Rudolph

6.8

Victor Cruz

11.2

Marcel Reece

5

Antonio Gates

6.7

Vincent Jackson

11

Ryan Mathews

5

Owen Daniels

6.5

Julio Jones

10.3

Adrian Peterson

4.8

Brandon Myers

6.3

Dez Bryant

10.3

Joique Bell

4.7

Jacob Tamme

6.3

To start saving space I’ll be showing you the last 6 weeks of targets on each individual player, but the total targets are for the whole season.

Finally Torrey Smith got a big target game, but of course Johnathan Joseph decided to show up big. Right now there is little difference in targets between Boldin, Smith and Pitta, but production has been a problem of late. Joe Flacco and tough opponents have had a lot to do with that, but they get a bye next week and then two good matchups against Cleveland and Oakland.

The one constant has been Ray Rice, that is until he was underutilized against the Texans. It always seems to happen at some point in the season, but Cam Cameron will get him more involved to right the balance of power.

Fred Jackson had a target explosion last week in the Bills loss to the Titans. His 11 targets was a season high, and helped him to eight receptions, a ppr’ers dream scenario. This split between Jackson and C.J. Spiller is about as even as it gets. You would expect Spiller to see more targets, but that hasn’t been the case on average. But both are getting it done on the ground and in the air. With those two at your core, you would think this Bills team would be better, but of course Ryan Fitzpatrick gets all Fitzy and there goes the game.

Stevie Johnson is still the no doubt target king on the team and without much competition down field for targets, he’ll remain the guy. Being “the guy” should mean consistent production, and that’s what you drafted him for.

In week one A.J. Green had five receptions. That was his low on the season until last week when he had just one against the Steelers on six targets. Of course he caught a touchdown to extend his streak to six straight games with a touchdown, but it does show that he can be stopped to an extent. Of course when Green is taken out of the game, all the Bengals have to do is go to, um, Ryan Whalen.

Cedric Peerman coming off a big eight target, eight reception game for 76 yards was then targeted zero times against the Steelers, but scored on his only touch of the night, a five yard run up the middle. BenJarvus Green Ellis had some decent runs, but ended the night with 69 yards on 18 carries. We should see more of Peerman you would hope.

Brandon Weeden targeted nine receivers and nine receivers had receptions against the Colts in week seven. Amazingly the receiver with the most targets had just two receptions. His name is Josh “Flash” Gordon (if we were to give him an obvious nickname, which I am). He of course caught yet another touchdown, making it four in the last three games, and those ten targets are a good sign, but the two receptions aren’t. Weeden has been playing quite well and if Gordon keeps getting double digit targets, I think he can remain productive, but I have a feeling his targets are going to be a bit more sporadic than that going forward, just as they were going backward.

Greg Little had one of his best games by not dropping a pass and securing six of seven targets. He’s on the radar, and I could see him doing better than Gordon the rest of the season, but I’m still very wary.

Trent Richardson is hurting. If any running back in the league rushes eight times for eight yards against the Colts that is an obvious sign the player is near death.

Andre Johnson is back! Well, he’s relevant again! Matt Schaub has played extremely well this season and the coaching staff is let him do a little more last week against the Ravens decimated defense. It’s probably a good idea, seeing as how Arian Foster is on pace for 411 touches this season. Ben Tate continues to hurt himself, so he’s not able to relieve Foster, so we should continue to see Schaub target Johnson, who isn’t the best receiver in the game anymore, but is still a monster.

Just after I lamented the low target numbers of Owen Daniels, he gets ten and catches a season high seven balls. Tight ends are a bit infuriating unless they are top three stud, so Daniels is going to continue to be in the picture as Schaub’s number two target.

Welcome to the AFC Target Watch for Week 7. Below you will find players that have footballs thrown at them on a consistent basis at high velocities and they find it enjoyable. But before we get there, let us take a look at the targets per game leaders over the last four weeks. Don’t look now Reggie Wayne, but Marques Colston is getting all targety.

Target/Game Leaders

Wide Receiver

Tar/gm

Running Back

Tar/gm

Tight End

Tar/gm

Marques Colston

13.7

Darren Sproles

6

Jason Witten

9.7

Reggie Wayne

13.7

Ray Rice

5.8

Tony Gonzalez

8.7

Larry Fitzgerald

12.2

Willis McGahee

5.7

Rob Gronkowski

8.2

Wes Welker

12

LeSean McCoy

5.7

Heath Miller

7.3

Calvin Johnson

12

Mikel Leshoure

5.3

Brandon Pettigrew

7.3

Brandon Marshall

11.7

Fred Jackson

5.2

Kyle Rudolph

6.8

Victor Cruz

11.2

Marcel Reece

5

Antonio Gates

6.7

Vincent Jackson

11

Ryan Mathews

5

Owen Daniels

6.5

Julio Jones

10.3

Adrian Peterson

4.8

Brandon Myers

6.3

Dez Bryant

10.3

Joique Bell

4.7

Jacob Tamme

6.3

To start saving space I’ll be showing you the last 6 weeks of targets on each individual player, but the total targets are for the whole season.

Finally Torrey Smith got a big target game, but of course Johnathan Joseph decided to show up big. Right now there is little difference in targets between Boldin, Smith and Pitta, but production has been a problem of late. Joe Flacco and tough opponents have had a lot to do with that, but they get a bye next week and then two good matchups against Cleveland and Oakland.

The one constant has been Ray Rice, that is until he was underutilized against the Texans. It always seems to happen at some point in the season, but Cam Cameron will get him more involved to right the balance of power.

Fred Jackson had a target explosion last week in the Bills loss to the Titans. His 11 targets was a season high, and helped him to eight receptions, a ppr’ers dream scenario. This split between Jackson and C.J. Spiller is about as even as it gets. You would expect Spiller to see more targets, but that hasn’t been the case on average. But both are getting it done on the ground and in the air. With those two at your core, you would think this Bills team would be better, but of course Ryan Fitzpatrick gets all Fitzy and there goes the game.

Stevie Johnson is still the no doubt target king on the team and without much competition down field for targets, he’ll remain the guy. Being “the guy” should mean consistent production, and that’s what you drafted him for.

In week one A.J. Green had five receptions. That was his low on the season until last week when he had just one against the Steelers on six targets. Of course he caught a touchdown to extend his streak to six straight games with a touchdown, but it does show that he can be stopped to an extent. Of course when Green is taken out of the game, all the Bengals have to do is go to, um, Ryan Whalen.

Cedric Peerman coming off a big eight target, eight reception game for 76 yards was then targeted zero times against the Steelers, but scored on his only touch of the night, a five yard run up the middle. BenJarvus Green Ellis had some decent runs, but ended the night with 69 yards on 18 carries. We should see more of Peerman you would hope.

Brandon Weeden targeted nine receivers and nine receivers had receptions against the Colts in week seven. Amazingly the receiver with the most targets had just two receptions. His name is Josh “Flash” Gordon (if we were to give him an obvious nickname, which I am). He of course caught yet another touchdown, making it four in the last three games, and those ten targets are a good sign, but the two receptions aren’t. Weeden has been playing quite well and if Gordon keeps getting double digit targets, I think he can remain productive, but I have a feeling his targets are going to be a bit more sporadic than that going forward, just as they were going backward.

Greg Little had one of his best games by not dropping a pass and securing six of seven targets. He’s on the radar, and I could see him doing better than Gordon the rest of the season, but I’m still very wary.

Trent Richardson is hurting. If any running back in the league rushes eight times for eight yards against the Colts that is an obvious sign the player is near death.

Andre Johnson is back! Well, he’s relevant again! Matt Schaub has played extremely well this season and the coaching staff is let him do a little more last week against the Ravens decimated defense. It’s probably a good idea, seeing as how Arian Foster is on pace for 411 touches this season. Ben Tate continues to hurt himself, so he’s not able to relieve Foster, so we should continue to see Schaub target Johnson, who isn’t the best receiver in the game anymore, but is still a monster.

Just after I lamented the low target numbers of Owen Daniels, he gets ten and catches a season high seven balls. Tight ends are a bit infuriating unless they are top three stud, so Daniels is going to continue to be in the picture as Schaub’s number two target.

Reggie Wayne once again had a nice target day, but did have Joe Haden covering him. After facing Cromartie and Haden the last two weeks, his schedule gets much better. I’d buy him if he’s available.

Vick Ballard ground out a decent game, totaling 103 yards on 21 touches. A touchdown is needed for him to put up real fantasy numbers, but he does get the Titans next week while Donald Brown is still hurting.

The non-Wayne receivers aren’t getting it done. I keep hoping Donnie Avery’s targets would translate into fantasy points, but no dice and last week he didn’t even get the big target numbers. He’s still the guy I would bet on having a decent fantasy game other than Wayne, but I’m not using him unless I’m desperate.

With the Jaguars offense in a shambles, the one interesting fact after Maurice Jones-Drew left the game with a foot injury was that Rashad Jennings had nine targets and caught seven for 58 yards. The Raiders were able to key in on the run, so he had a horrid rushing day, going 21 for 44 yards, but it’s good to see they at least tried to get him the ball in space and he was able to compete. He should be a viable fantasy option while MJD is hurt.

Rob Gronkowski was the target and fantasy leader against the Jets last week, while Wes Welker had his worst target and fantasy game since week one. Julian Edelman returned, but only had two targets. Aaron Hernandez saw a big uptick in playing time, but Deion Branch seems to be the big loser as far as snaps go. Welker did see a slight drop in snap percentage, but still held at 80% compared to his average of around 90% over the last four games. This could be a sign of a few less targets going forward for Welker, but it doesn’t look like Belichick is going to revert to his week one usage for Welker anytime soon.

The split for the running backs was 40% for Stevan Ridley, 39% for Danny Woodhead and 21% for Shane Vereen. Ridley has been in the 40’s most of the season, so that’s not a change. And Woodhead’s numbers are all over the place. I would guess that Ridley will continue to get his 40% and hopefully won’t do anything to piss Belichick off.

Jeremy Kerley has filled the void left by Santonio Holmes pretty well. He’s averaging over eight targets over his last three games and has caught 15 of those for 238 yards. That’s not too shabby, especially when Mark Sanchez is throwing you the ball.

I probably should erase all these “dnp” players, but it’s kind of crazy to see so many of them up there. That’s 16 players that have seen a target this season for the Jets.

I think the best news for Jets fans is that Dustin Keller is back. He had a nice game against the Patriots and is easily Sanchez’s favorite red zone receiver. Last year he was second only to Plaxico Burress in red zone targets for the Jets and Burress is no longer available for targets.

Carson Palmer is spreading the ball around well. Five players had six-plus targets, but none had more than ten. That is a good recipe for fantasy production, but not huge fantasy production, especially when your one double digit target is tight end Brandon Myers.

Darrius Heyward-Bey came back two weeks ago from his concussion, but wasn’t really back until this week, when he caught four of his seven targets for 85 yards. Denarius Moore led all wide receivers in targets with eight and caught four of them, including a touchdown. Moore is the number one receiver without a doubt, but Heyward-Bey should still have some value, since Palmer is averaging 288 passing yards a game.

Mike Wallace went on a dropping spree at target, while Antonio Brown and Heath Miller did all the actual receiving work. I am pretty amazed at how well Heath Miller’s fantasy value has held up this season. His yardage is pretty poor, but he keeps getting into the end zone and catching passes. Or the other way around.

The Steelers aren’t going to stop throwing anytime soon, so even though Wallace had the dropsies, those top three are going to stay fantasy relevant all season. Yes, even Heath Miller. Slow, plodding Heath Miller.

This was the Chris Johnson show with a little Jamie Harper to kill your buzz. The passing game was pretty tame in comparison. Kenny Britt started well with three receptions on the very first drive, but only saw three more targets the rest of the game and caught one. Nate Washington was the target leader and got into the end zone, while Kendall Wright saw a big dip in targets. That’s a bad sign for him now that Britt is playing a full compliment of snaps. Hasselbeck isn’t going to stretch the field, so that’s not the best news for the receivers and he’s going to spread the ball around pretty well. He is accurate enough to help one of these guys put up a big day, but just one, maybe two, but probably one. I’ll say one.